Opioid Deaths Push Challengers To Run Against Incumbents Who ‘Sold Out’ To Drug Companies
As 2018 elections loom and the opioid crisis weighs heavy on voters' minds, the Ways and Means Committee is expected to begin marking up bills intended to curb opioid abuse.
The Washington Post:
‘Why I Chose To Run’: Congressional Challengers Use Bill Backed By Drug Companies Against Incumbents
As a drug and alcohol counselor and the mother of two young boys, Judy Herschel never considered running for political office. That was before Congress approved legislation in 2016 that hampered the Drug Enforcement Administration’s enforcement efforts against the opioid industry. In one month that summer, Herschel lost eight of her clients to opioid overdoses. She left her job and launched a full-time campaign against the politician she holds responsible for the legislation: its chief sponsor in the House, Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.). (Higham, Thebault, and Rich, 5/13)
CQ:
Ways And Means To Mark Up Opioid Bill Packages
The influential House Ways and Means Committee on Friday outlined four bipartisan bill packages intended to curb opioid addiction that it plans to mark up next week. The development comes as other House and Senate committees are advancing their own legislation. The committee did not set a specific date for the markup or provide legislative text. The packages focus on preventing overprescribing, education for patients and prescribers, and access to treatment. (Raman, 5/11)
